Clamp



Nov. 3, 1970 J. E. EMBERSON I x I CLAMP Filed June 6, 1968 JOHN E.EMBERSON I N VEN'I'OR.

l BY v 14 64 62 26 1a- United States Patent 3,537,150 CLAMP John ErnestEmberson, P.0. Box 40, Unionville, Ontario, Canada Filed June 6, 1968,Ser. No. 735,054 Int. Cl. A44b 21/00; E04g 7/22 US. Cl. 2481 1 ClaimABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A clamp has a throat to receive the end of abeam secured in place by bolts. The clamp has a recessed extension witha pivotable portion which closes on to the extension around another beamlocated in the recess. The pivotable portion is held in place by a thumbscrew.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to clamps and hasparticular relation to clamps which are used to connect gymnastic beams,activity trestles and beam legs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The inventionwill now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clamp holding a beam in the hollowbody with a beam leg aligned with the clamp extension in spaced relationthereto.

FIG. 2 shows the clamp extension in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the clamp with the pivotablemember in the closed position on the extension.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As illustrated in the drawings,the clamp generally denoted by the numeral 10, includes a hollow bodyportion 12 formed by a pair of mating channel sections 14 and 16. Twopairs of opposed threaded bolts 18 hold the, channel sections 14 and 16together to enclose a beam 20. The free ends of each pair of the opposedbolts 18 are located in an individual threaded sleeve 22 positionedinside the hollow body portion 12. The heads of the bolts 18 arerounded, the edges being flush with the outer surface of the channelsections 14 and 16, to prevent injury to the user of gymnastic equipmentwhich incorporates the clamp 10.

The channel portions 14 and 16 each has an individual opposed transverseinterior walls 26 and 28, each having an arcuate recess whereby onassembly of the channel sections 14 and 16 a central aperture 30 isformed. The channel portion 14 has another transverse wall 32 removedfrom the wall 26; the wall 32 has an open-ended slot 34.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base of the channel portion 16 hasan open-ended slot 36.

The channel portion 14 has an integral extension 38,

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the inner surface of which is shaped to provide a pair of arcuaterecesses 40 and 42, preferably coated with a resilient material such asrubber. The free end of extension 38 is bifurcated to receive the freeend, also bifurcated, of a pivotable member 44 which is held to theextension 38 by a pin 46.

The pivotable member 44 has a pair of arcuate recesses 48 and 50 whichcorrespond in shape with the arcuate recesses 40 and 42 on the innersurface of the extension 38. The arcuate recesses 48 and 50 are alsopreferably coated with a resilient material. The pivotable memberterminates in a wall 52, having an open-ended slot 54, the inner end ofwhich has a dished portion 56; the free end of the wall 52 bears ontothe wall of 32 when the pivotable member 44 is moved in the direction ofthe arrow in FIG. 2 from the open to the closed position. When this isaccomplished, the arcuate recesses 40 and 42 and the similar recesses 48and 50 form respectively communicating recesses 58 and 60, preferablyhaving different characters. In this position, the slot 54 is in linewith the slot 36 of the channel portion 16.

Intermediate the wall 26 and the wall 32 in the channel portion 14 is apin 62, see FIG. 3, which holds a pivotable sleeve 64, having arestricted head 66 with an interior thread. A threaded rod 68 engageswith the head 66 of the sleeve 64; the rod 68 has a portion 70 which isenlarged with respect to the head 66 of the sleeve 64 to terminate theoutward movement of the threaded rod 68 from the sleeve 64.

The rod 68 is movable between the slot 54 in the pivotable member 44 andthe slot 36 in the channel portion 16. The rod 68 terminates in anintegral thumb screw 72. The body portion 74 of the thumb screw 72 isshaped as shown so that its lower end fits into the dished portion 56 ofthe open-ended head 54 when the pivotable member 44 is secured to theextension 38.

The clamp 10 may be used to connect a variety of gymnastic equipment.Thus the end of beam 20, the body of which may be of variousconfigurations, may be located in the hollow portion 12 and securedtherein with the bolts 18. The beam 20 may then be securely connected,for instance, to an activity trestle at the cross bar level by enclosureof the latter in either of the apertures 58 or 60.

A particular advantage of the clamp 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, isthat the pivotable member 44 may be clamped on to a beam leg, generallydenoted by the numeral 76, so that the beam 20 may be safely used at alow level. The beam leg 76 is formed of a pair of tubes, 78 and 80welded together with one tube 78 turned down to provide legs 82. It willbe appreciated that its insertion into the communicating pair ofapertures 58 and 60 with subsequent securement of the pivotable member44 will ensure that the beam leg 76 will not rotate and hence the beam20 will remain in the desired position.

What I claim for my invention is:

1. A clamp to connect a first and second member, said clamp including ahollow body portion, means in said hollow portion for holding said firstmember, an integral extension to said hollow portion, said extensionhaving an arcuate recess, a member pivotable on said extension, the freeend closing on said hollow portion, said pivotable member having anarcuate recess which in the closed position forms an aperture with saidrecess of said extension, means securing said pivotable member tocontain said second member in said aperture comprising a threaded sleevesecured to said hollow body portion, a threaded rod engageable with saidthreaded sleeve, there being a slot in said pivotable member, said rodbeing engageable in said slot.

(References on following page) Refernces Cited UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS 1;004,184 11/1951 France.

DONALD A GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

Stewart.

Lang.

Gaflers. 5 Heiber et a1. 24-2482. XR Brandel.

Voelkel l-6--158 XR Pitzel.

